Italy's Meloni stresses commitment to stand with Ukraine in talks with Zelenskyy

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Wednesday stressed her country’s commitment to stand by Ukraine in a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Turkish capital Ankara, on the sidelines of the NATO summit.

A statement said Meloni confirmed Italy would continue providing assistance to the Ukrainian people, with a particular focus on measures to strengthen the resilience of energy infrastructure.

Commenting on the meeting, Zelenskyy said he and Meloni had an "important" conversation, and he informed her about the situation in Ukraine and discussed the prospects for joint work in Europe on anti-ballistic capabilities.

"We spoke about the need for additional interceptors and we are counting very much on support," Zelenskyy said on US social media company X.

Meloni and Zelenskyy arrived in Ankara on Tuesday for the two-day NATO summit, which focuses on implementing defense spending commitments agreed at the 2025 summit, sustaining military support for Ukraine and expanding defense industrial production.

Upon his arrival, Zelenskyy wrote on X that “important work” lay ahead and that Ukraine expected a “strong and productive” summit.

“Decisions are needed now that will provide greater protection for our people, more capabilities for our defense and even stronger security cooperation between Ukraine, Europe and the United States,” he said, adding that nearly 20 bilateral meetings were planned.

Since arriving in Ankara, Zelenskyy has held talks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and the prime ministers of Canada, Denmark, Estonia and Norway.

He also met European Council President Antonio Costa on Wednesday and is due to meet US President Donald Trump.